In the contemporary world, individuals increasingly desire the freedom to work from diverse locations, a possibility that is seamlessly facilitated by the concept of the virtual office. With the surge in remote work, the demand for purpose-built tools to enable efficient virtual office operations has seen a corresponding rise. These virtual office tools cater to a broad spectrum of enterprises, ranging from nascent startups to established corporations. According to recent research, a staggering 70% of large corporations and 62% of small businesses have embraced virtual office solutions. These tools offer a repertoire of features, effectively eliminating the necessity for physical office spaces, empowering individuals to operate proficiently from remote locales. The deployment of virtual office tools serves to enhance the professionalism and credibility of businesses.
The trajectory of the virtual office trend is marked by rapid growth. As you embark on establishing your own business, you will realize that the diverse skill set required for its successful expansion is dispersed across the globe. By harnessing the capabilities of a virtual office, you can engage talents and avail services transcending geographical boundaries.
This blog delves into the realm of essential virtual office tools, unveiling a curated selection of the best options available. The virtual office tools explored here promise to streamline your operations, enhance communication, and elevate productivity to unprecedented heights.
Best Virtual Office Tools
Below, you will find an array of tools tailored to suit the virtual office environment, each designed to optimize your remote work experience.
Teamflow
Dropbox
Time Doctor
Slack
Trello
Sococo
Zoom
Tandem
GoTo Meeting
WorkInSync
Teamflow
| Website | www.teamflowhq.com |
|---|---|
| Rating | 4.8 out of 5 |
| Free Trial | Available |
| Platforms Supported | Web, Android, iPhone/iPad |
| Best For | Seamless remote work and collaboration |
Teamflow is an online workspace for extraordinary remote teams. It recreates the spontaneity of casual, unplanned chats and the seamless team collaborations employees miss from working at physical offices. The virtual office software was built on three ideas- spatiality, persistence, and apps.
When a business team first sets up in Teamflow, the applications first customize the layout and then set up desks, work areas, and meeting rooms. Teams can also integrate apps like notepads or whiteboards and embed applications like Slides or Google Docs. When using the software, teams can see their video in a bubble on a virtual office floor plan- in the same way they might see each other across physical offices.
Moreover, with the platform, employees can shadow their teammate’s calls, dial together in real-time, and share valuable insights in real-time. These features allow teams to celebrate their wins and help grow via collaborative knowledge sharing.
Features of Teamflow
- Meeting Space: Users can select from a wide range of meeting spaces to match their needs, design a cozy corner office for routine 1:1s and build their favorite virtual venues with Teamflow.
- Spatial Audio: The platform’s spatial audio feature allows teams to create a natural workspace while encouraging spontaneous interactions.
- Multiple Screen Shares: There will no longer be restrictive, clunky video meetings with no need to choose or switch between windows by accessing the multiple screen shares feature.
- App Integrations: Teamflow’s convenient app integrations seamlessly bring Trello, Google Docs, and Notion into employees’ shared workspace.
Pros
- Teamflow’s interaction model makes business teams feel like they are in a physical office.
- Effective collaborations with reduced meeting scheduling times.
- Easy-to-use platform with a customer representative to guide you through the onboarding process.
Cons
- The camera setting doesn’t offer the option for virtual background or blurry effects.
- The software doesn’t offer a mic and webcam, making it challenging to communicate when sharing screens.
- Users don’t have privacy when sharing the screen.
Pricing Plans
| Plan | Yearly Price | Monthly Price |
|---|---|---|
| Your current office | $799/employee/month | $799/employee/month |
| Seed | $15/employee/month | $20/employee/month |
| Business | $25/employee/month | $30/employee/month |
Dropbox
| Website | www.dropbox.com |
|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5 out of 5 |
| Free Trial | Available |
| Platforms Supported | Web, Android, iPhone/iPad |
| Best For | File syncing, storage & sharing |
Dropbox is like a modern workspace designed to help users reduce their busy work to let them focus on things that matter to them. It is a cloud file storage and synchronization platform where all team content comes together. The software allows users back up their files online and synchronizes all their local Dropbox folders across different devices. Users can access this file-sharing service by any web browser or Dropbox application installed on a laptop, mobile, computer, or tablet. Moreover, it allows employees to share the data and files such as Excel and PowerPoint with their team members and make changes in the documents in real time.
When a user subscribes to the platform, he is allotted a certain amount of storage space in an online server called ‘the cloud.’ And after installing Dropbox app on his mobile or computer, files stored in the Dropbox can also be copied to the Dropbox server. The tools enable users to bring all their files in a single place, making it easier to find and synchronize on all their devices, allowing them to access the files anytime and anywhere.
Features of Dropbox
- Cloud Storage: With online cloud storage, Dropbox allows users to keep their files safe. Moreover, they get free storage of up to 2GB and 100 GB on for-fee plans.
- Encryption Security: The platform uses 256-bit AES encryption security, letting users share the most confidential files safely and securely.
- Share Screenshots: When using the tool, users need not take screenshots, drag them into Dropbox, and copy the share link. They can share screenshots quickly by enabling Dropbox’s screenshot-sharing feature.
- Add Comments to Files: With the platform’s commenting feature, users can discuss changes to a particular file.
Pros
- Dropbox app is available practically for every operating system.
- Backups and synchronizes files automatically.
- The software offers a flexible range of collaborative tools.
- It offers superb app integration and offline functionality.
Cons
- Free users are offered poor storage limits.
- Compared to other similar tools, Dropbox has expensive paid subscriptions.
- It offers a limited search function.
Pricing Plans
| Plan | Yearly Price | Monthly Price |
|---|---|---|
| Plus | $9.99 / month | $11.99 / month |
| Family | $16.99 / month | $19.99 / month |
| Professional | $16.58 / month | $19.99 / month |
Megha Rani
Time Doctor
| Website | www.timedoctor.com |
|---|---|
| Rating | 4.6 out of 5 |
| Free Trial | Available |
| Platforms Supported | Web, Android, iPhone/iPad |
| Best For | Employee Time Tracking with Screenshots |
Time Doctor is a cloud-based time tracking and management platform that businesses use to monitor their workforce productivity. This platform allows users to access multiple tools for time tracking, payroll management, web activity monitoring, and reporting. For instance, it sends distraction alerts if employees go off task too long. It can also take screenshots and screen recordings as proof for employers.
With Time Doctor, an employer can enter time spent on each business project and calculate his employees’ billable and non-billable working hours. With this solution, they can also keep track of the time employees spend on chats, calls, meetings, internet usage, and other activities. The payroll functionality allows companies to record employees’ working hours and create weekly or monthly payslips. Moreover, Time Doctor also enables integration with multiple project management and accounting software, such as Slack, JIRA, Salesforce, and Basecamp.
Features of Time_Doctor
- Time Tracking: Time Doctor allows employers to track their and their employees’ time to see what’s done throughout the day. In addition, the software creates a summary of time spent on each business project, task, and client.
- Online Timesheets and Payroll: The platform creates seamless time sheets and payrolls that managers can review and approve as needed and pay employees based on hours worked.
- Project Management and Budgeting: With the Time Doctor, users can efficiently align projects and budgets. They can create tasks, assign projects, and review progress, simplifying project management.
- Productivity Measuring and Summary Reports: The app allows managers to view screenshots of real-time progress. It creates daily and weekly summary reports of website and app usage, client breakdown, and more.
Pros
- Help track time without selecting a task.
- It supports manual time editing.
- Provides a mobile app and is available as a powerful Chrome extension.
- Time Doctor provides an API to integrate any software application.
Cons
- It offers limited customization options to generate reports.
- The platform’s extensive tracking features might be perceived as an invasion by employees.
- Its pricing structure might not be suitable for small businesses and startups.
- Some users find it challenging to learn the software’s interface and features.
Pricing Plans
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Basic | $5.9/user/month |
| Standard | $8.4/user/month |
| Premium | $16.7/user/month |
Pratyusha Srivastava
Slack
| Website | Slack.com |
|---|---|
| Rating | 4.7 out of 5 |
| Free Trial | Available |
| Platforms Supported | Web, Android, iPhone/iPad |
| Best For | Team communication and workflows |
Slack is a workplace messaging application that can be used to send messages and files. Simply put, it’s an instant messaging tool. The application is designed to enable users to easily communicate while eliminating the ‘app fatigue’ that occurs when using multiple communication applications. It offers two types of chats – direct message or DM (person-to-person chat) and channels (group chats). Slack channels can be public or private chat groups, wherein the former allows anyone to see and join the chat group, and the latter allows only channel members to see and join the chat group.
All real communication occurs in the chat window where users can read messages, reply, use emoji reactions, create reminders, upload stickers and GIFs, see RSS feeds, receive add-on notifications, and use many other features such as whistles and bells. This messaging app allows business teams to communicate more effectively by replacing text messaging, instant chatting, and email with a single software. Additionally, its desktop and mobile versions enable business teams to interact and coordinate their work from any place and at any time.
Features of Slack
- Apps and Integrations: Slack can be connected with Google Drive, Office 365, Asana, Blossom, Trello, JIRA, Pivotal Tracker, and over 2,200 other project management tools.
- Workflow Builder: With the ‘workflow builder’ feature, users can automate their routine actions and communication to get back to the kind of work that only humans can do.
- Slack Connect: The platform offers a ‘Slack Connect’ feature to help users collaborate with teams at other organizations as they do with teams at their companies.
- File Sharing: Users can share files, photos, videos, and documents from their device or cloud storage service without switching tabs or windows.
Pros
- Slack makes it easier to share even something funny or off-topic with co-workers.
- Users can collaborate easily with someone in real time.
- Thanks to Slack’s excellent security, users’ data is always protected within the platform.
- Users can download the app to their desktop and use it as a mobile app.
Cons
- The conversations are automatically deleted after 14 days.
- The platform offers minimum file storage.
- Users can’t make a public group private after creating it.
- Messages can become unorganized relatively quickly.
Pricing Plans
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Free | ₹0/month |
| Pro | ₹218/month* |
| Business | ₹375.20/month* |
| Enterprise Grid | Custom Pricing |
Trello
| Website | Trello.com |
|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5 out of 5 |
| Free Trial | Available |
| Platforms Supported | Web, Android, iPhone/iPad |
| Best For | Task and Project Management |
Trello is a visual tool empowering business teams to manage any type of project, workflow, or task tracking. This project management and collaboration tool organizes projects into boards representing different business projects. Within each board, employers can add lists representing different stages of the project and cards representing individual tasks. It needs just one glance to figure out what project or task the employees are working on, which employee is working on what, and where something is in process.
By accessing this project management platform, users can add attachments, comments, and due dates to cards and move them from one list to another to reflect a specific project’s progress. It acts as a digital bulletin board to track and manage everything about business projects. With Trello, users can say goodbye to sticky notes, cluttered email inboxes, and forgotten deadlines. Furthermore, it supports integration with hundreds of third-party applications and services, including Slack, Google Drive, OneDrive, JIRA, GitHub, and more.
Features of Trello
- Search and Filtering: The platform’s powerful search function allows users to search for boards, cards, labels, and team members. They can filter cards by labels, due dates, and other categories.
- Power-Ups: Trello’s version of plugins, ‘Power-Ups,’ allow users to add extra features and functionalities to their boards, such as adding custom fields or integrating with other tools.
- Calendar View: The ‘Calendar View’ features help users view all their due dates and project deadlines in a single place.
- Notifications: Users are updated about their mentions, comments, or card updates via notifications on their mobile or email.
Pros
- The platform emphasizes ease of use, as most users can grasp its basics within minutes.
- With Trello, users can easily organize their projects and tasks into boards, lists, and cards.
- The project management app makes it easier for team members to collaborate and work together.
- Users can use Trello for any type of project or task.
Cons
- The free version of Trello limits attachment size and integrations.
- The app can accidentally drag, move, and delete a card.
- It offers limited scalability making it an unsuitable choice for large companies.
Pricing Plans
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Free | $0 |
| Standard | $5/user/month, if billed annually |
| Premium | $10/user/month, if billed annually |
| Enterprise | $17.50/user/month, if billed annually |
Sococo
| Website | www.sococo.com |
|---|---|
| Rating | 4.1 out of 5 |
| Free Trial | Available |
| Platforms Supported | Web, Android, iPhone/iPad |
| Best For | Virtual Office and Remote Team Collaboration |
Sococo is a cloud-based SaaS platform letting business teams work side-by-side in the same online office, no matter where team members reside. It’s a virtual office solution for distributed teams that allows them to collaborate, connect, and overcome the barriers of physical distance. With Sococo, team members can stay and work together on different projects using office maps and virtual avatars. The platform provides users access to virtual office maps, meeting rooms, team messaging, voice and video chat, virtual avatars with status updates, screen-sharing, and many other features.
The virtual office tool allows users to update their availability status through avatars to provide more transparency to the business teams. It means users can display whether they are present in the meeting or not with avatar status updates. With Sococo, teams can book meeting rooms to quickly collaborate on any business project without using any third-party software. Moreover, the users can use Sococo’s video and voice calling, 1-to-1 chat messaging, and advanced screen-sharing features to connect and work seamlessly online.
Features of Sococo
- Map: Sococo maps allow remote teams to overcome barriers of physical distance by working side-by-side in the same virtual office.
- Meeting Rooms: Teams can book meeting rooms to work together. Even the platform allows booking different rooms and floors for different teams.
- Voice, Video, and Screen Share: With these features, teams can see and talk to their colleagues, know what they are up to, and receive responses immediately.
- App Integration: Sococo can integrate various third-party applications, including Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Webex, Google Meet, and more.
Pros
- Remote teams can share documents and communicate with co-workers using in-app chat capabilities.
- The platform offers various classroom and office setups.
- Sococo integrates with multiple third-party meeting management, collaboration, and video conferencing apps.
- Businesses can have specific rooms and floors for different teams.
Cons
- There is a limit to the number of voice call minutes.
- No personal space customization.
- Screen sharing has a lot of lag.
- Often, voice chat and media sharing encounter issues.
Pricing Plans
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Sococo | $13.49 Per Seat per Month, Annually Prepaid |
| Sococo Unlimited | $24.99 Per Seat per Month, Annual Term |
Zoom
| Website | Zoom.us |
|---|---|
| Rating | 4.6 out of 5 |
| Free Trial | Available |
| Platforms Supported | Web, Android, iPhone/iPad |
| Best For | Video conferencing & web conferencing for teams of all sizes |
Zoom is a cloud-based video conferencing platform users can use to connect online with others via video or audio, or both while conducting live chats. It can be used through a mobile app or computer desktop for video conferences, live chat, and webinars. The video conferring application allows users to create and join virtual meeting rooms to communicate with each other using video and audio. Moreover, the platform provides features allowing users to share their screens and files and use text chat to talk privately or publicly in meetings.
To join a Zoom meeting, the users must have the Zoom app, meeting ID or link, and a password. While it’s unnecessary for the participant to have a Zoom account to join the meeting, a user hosting the meeting must set up a Zoom account. Some time ago, Zoom enabled passwords by default. It means users manually entering the meeting details need a password to join the meeting. However, the participants joining the session via the link don’t need a password.
Features of Zoom
- Collaboration: With Zoom, users can collaborate with up to 300 UR and external non-UR persons, including chat, whiteboarding, annotation, and breakout rooms.
- Screen and Application Sharing: Participants can share their desktop or individual applications during the meeting.
- Scheduling: Users can access browser, client, and plugin scheduling options, including delegation for schedulers and co-hosts.
- Large Room and Webinar: Zoom sessions can be expanded with up to 500 interactive participants in large rooms and 1,000 viewers in webinars.
Pros
- Zoom is a leading video conferring platform offering the highest maximum participant capacity.
- The tool offers reliable connectivity with superior conferencing quality.
- Zoom boasts a user-friendly and uncomplicated interface.
- It offers a wealth of features focusing on productivity and interactivity.
Cons
- It is considerably heavy on system resources and encounters minor performance issues.
- With the free plan, users can access only limited features.
- Zoom comes with too many subscriptions and add-ons.
- The application lacks comment control.
Pricing Plans
| Plan | Yearly Price | Monthly Price |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Free | Free |
| Pro | ₹13,200./year/user | ₹1,300./month/user |
| Business | ₹18,000./year/user | ₹1,800./month/user |
| Business Plus | Custom plans | Custom plans |
Varad Kitey
Tandem
| Website | Tandem.chat |
|---|---|
| Rating | 4.4 out of 5 |
| Free Trial | Available |
| Platforms Supported | Web, Android, iPhone/iPad |
| Best For | Video conferencing for small teams |
Tandem is a cloud-based video conferencing software specifically designed for small teams. The platform has a great virtual office feel that promotes real-time productivity and team collaboration. It consolidates cloud technology and collaboration spaces into a seamless virtual workspace that allows teams to communicate anywhere. With this desktop application, employees can see what other co-workers are working on and quickly jump onto a video chat with a single button click. The software lets business teams feel they are working together in person, just like a real-life office.
Business teams can work synchronously with virtual meetings, high fives, calendar alerts, music rooms, instant screen sharing, and many other features. Co-workers can spontaneously converse with each other and feel more connected with their remote team. In addition, Tandem lets users integrate over 200 different platforms, including Slack, Spotify, Calendar, Google Chrome, GitHub, JIRA, Google Docs, and more.
Features of Tandem
- Upcoming Meetings: With this feature, employees can auto-join so they never miss a meeting.
- Instant Screen Sharing: Users can instantly share their screen, tab, or individual application in a single click.
- Application Integrations: With Tandem, users can integrate the platform with over 200 applications, including Google Docs, Calendar, Figma, Asana, Google Chrome, etc.
- Remote Control: The platform enables remote screen control with a single click.
Pros
- Tandem is a web-based platform that can be accessed from anywhere.
- It has an intuitive and beautifully designed user interface.
- The platform can work efficiently on Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and Windows.
- With Tandem, users can access high-quality video and audio chat options.
Cons
- Tandem doesn’t offer any support for the emerging platform yet.
Pricing Plans
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Free | $0/month |
| Small Teams | $49/month |
| Medium Teams | $99/month |
| Large Teams | $399/month |
GoTo Meeting
| Website | www.goto.com/meeting |
|---|---|
| Rating | 4.4 out of 5 |
| Free Trial | Available |
| Platforms Supported | Web, Android, iPhone/iPad |
| Best For | Online meeting, HD video conferencing |
GoTo Meeting is a professional online meeting software accessed via the desktop app, mobile app, and browser. This platform allows users to schedule, host, and record online face-to-face meetings, real-time presentations, and webinars. A user looking forward to joining the meeting doesn’t need a GoToMeeting account. But the organizer must set up an account to schedule, invite, and manage the meeting in the cloud. The platform is specifically designed for business use instead of personal use.
Furthermore, the maximum number of participants that GoToMeeting can accommodate is 3,000. It means the platform is ideal for webinars and conferences. The vendor also offers low-tiered plans for hosting smaller meetings suitable for online classes and remote work. Setting up and navigating the web conferencing app is pretty straightforward. Users can access critical features like chat, screen share, call, and record with a single click or a few steps.
In addition to standard video tools like dial-in conference lines, screen sharing, and personal meeting rooms, the platform facilitates key account management features, like meeting diagnostic reports, an admin center, and downloadable admin reports.
Features of GoToMeeting
- High-Definition Video Conferencing: The tool offers more than audio conferencing. If a user has a webcam, he can be seen and heard.
- Screen Share: Users can share the screen’s contents and desktop during the online meeting.
- Multiple Meeting Facilitators: With GoToMeeting, more than one person can be in charge of a particular meeting. Users can share or turn over the meeting administration’s control to another person.
- Record the Meeting: The platform allows participants to record the meeting and play it back later as an MP4 or WMV file.
Pros
- GoToMeeting is famous for its clear audio and video interface and reliability.
- The cloud-based platform is very secure due to its comprehensive security and privacy features.
- It’s an easy-to-use application.
- Allow sharing of documents during online meetings in real time.
Cons
- It requires a stable internet connection and the latest IT equipment or mobile devices.
- Users find it difficult to get the call-in process right.
- The platform offers a limited chat option.
Pricing Plans
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Professional | $12/organizer /month, billed annually |
| Business | $16/organizer /month, billed annually |
| Enterprise | Custom Pricing |
WorkInSync
| Website | www.workinsync.io |
|---|---|
| Rating | 4.8 out of 5 |
| Free Trial | Available |
| Platforms Supported | Web, Android, iPhone/iPad |
| Best For | All your hybrid workplace needs |
WorkInSync is a SaaS solution that enables companies to adopt the hybrid workplace model while enriching the employee experience. It is a simple platform for users to optimize and simplify office operations for different stakeholders. Whether an organization wants to collaborate with team members or ensure a sanitization flow, the cloud-based workplace management tool encompasses several features that can help create a digitized, hybrid workplace.
With WorkInSync, managers can plan and align their entire team across multiple remote locations, ease commuting woes, and improve workplace safety. It facilitates a wide array of features, including space management, desk booking, meeting room booking, locating colleagues, meeting management, parking spaces, workplace integrations, shift scheduling, commute management, and much more.
Moreover, the application also offers a contactless access management feature allowing employees to enter and exit the office without touching anything. With WorkInSync’s centralized dashboard, users can view attendance and floor occupancy in real-time. It’s a must for the users to register on the app using their office records’ phone number or email.
Features of WorkInSync
- Desk Booking: With this feature, users can book desks of their choice.
- Way-finding: WorkInSync app allows employees to locate their co-workers across floors using an interactive floor map.
- Meeting and Parking Space Management: Registered employees can book meeting rooms and parking spaces before coming to the office.
- Office Commute: With this platform, employees can access cabs and buses when wanting to work from the office.
Pros
- Users can schedule meetings, and notification is automatically sent to all their colleagues who will be attending.
- The dashboard provides access to historical and real-time data analytics, which can be downloaded as Excel reports.
- WorkInSync allows employees to schedule their visit to the office.
- The tool can be integrated with Microsoft Teams.
Cons
- Users can’t book the rooms via mobile app. They need to go to the official site.
- The platform doesn’t facilitate the desktop version.
- Beginners can find it tricky to use WorkInSync.
- The application takes some time to load.
Pricing Plans
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Standard | $2.50/month, billed annually |
| Professional | $4.00/month, billed annually |
| Enterprise | $6.00/month, billed annually |
Alan Joseph
Conclusion
Our dive into premier virtual office tools underscores their transformative power. Beyond functionality, they fuel efficiency, collaboration, and innovation. From global team connectivity to streamlined project management, these tools redefine work dynamics. In today’s borderless work environment, they’re essential for progress. Embrace these tools—unleash your potential for growth and impact, whether you’re an entrepreneur, freelancer, or team player. Your virtual office journey starts now; grasp the reins of the future of work.
FAQs
What is meant by a virtual office?
The virtual office is a part of the flexible workspace industry enabling business owners and employees to work remotely by rendering several business functions accessible via the Internet. It allows companies to create and maintain a business presence in a desirable location without paying rent for a physical workspace.
What are the benefits of a virtual office?
With a virtual office, you can reap many benefits, including zero overheads, saving money on technology and hardware, no commute time, higher productivity, increased flexibility of work, professional address and services, furnished office spaces, and better work-life balance.
What tech tools will I need to set up a virtual office?
Consider using a VoIP phone system, video conferencing tool, online fax services, project management software, scanning tool, and collaborative word processing tool to set up a virtual office.
What features should I look for in a virtual office tool?
Some key features you should look for in a virtual office tool include real-time communication capabilities via audio and video chat, virtual rooms, whiteboards, comments, sticky notes, and in-room chat, file sharing capabilities, third-party app integrations, data security, and encrypted infrastructure.
How can I choose the right virtual office software for my company?
To choose the right virtual office software, consider your company’s needs, such as service requirements, budget constraints, and scalability. Research thoroughly, read reviews, compare multiple tools, and consider trial periods to deploy the software best aligning with your company’s objectives.
